Parents Day
by Sybil Rowan
Summary: Headmistress Yuuko decides to throw a Parents Day party at the school and it creates chaos at the school. Faculty have to invite their parents, too, and Kurogane's gym gets turned into a party central. Ashura, a mad scientist, visits the twins with his newest invention and runs into his rival. The schoolyard becomes a battleground with Kurogane as the prize.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Parents Day

Author: Sybil Rowan

Pairing(s)/Characters: Most likely Kuro/Fai/Yuui- I just don't have it all plotted out yet. Just depends on the where the mood takes me for maximum comedic value. Normally, I don't dabble in Kuro/Fai/Yuui, as my Floodland readers know, but what the heck.

Rating: T+

Summary: Shiritsu Horitsuba Gakuen setting. Headmistress Yuuko decides to throw a Parents Day party at the school and it creates chaos at the school. Faculty have to invite their parents, too, and Kurogane's gym gets turned into a party central. Ashura, a mad scientist, visits the twins with his newest invention and runs into his rival. The schoolyard becomes a battleground with Kurogane as the prize.

Author's Notes: This story is just silliness- a wacky comedy primarily, but has some sad family drama between Yuui and Ashura. I miss writing comedies, so here goes one. I'm using my first names for Lord and Lady Suwa from Floodland in this one. I added in some other CLAMP characters that aren't in Horitsuba Gakuen. Just assume anyone from Angelic Layers to X/1999 could show up.

Disclaimer: Shiritsu Horitsuba Gakuen, its names, and all other characters in this story belong to the wonderful ladies of CLAMP.

Beta Reader: WingedPanther73, my awesome husband!

Date: January 25, 2014, 4:58 am

Word Count: on going

Part 1:

Kurogane strolled down the school's hallways towards the faculty lounge. Fai was at his right elbow, chatting away about Yuui's stellar breakfast making skills. Yuui, who was at Kurogane's left elbow, was bashfully brushing off Fai's compliment. Kurogane agreed with Fai; it had been a good breakfast. He ended up grateful Fai had barged into his adjacent apartment, literally dragging Yuui by the hair to cook for them.

Kurogane had hopes of a good day. The only thing he had to worry about was getting that scrawny kid, Watanuki, to climb up a rope at a decent speed. When he went to Yuuko about the kid, she had the nerve to chastise him over Watanuki's lack of muscles and was holding him personally responsible for Watanuki's failing grades in P.E.

It was as if his thoughts about his vexing boss and her pet student conjured her. Yuuko's voice came over the loud speaker, "I need to immediately see all instructors in the faculty lounge."

"Crap! Immediately is never good with her," Kurogane mumbled. "Fluorite, tell her I'm sick," he addressed Fai. After all, Fai was one of the most accomplished liars he'd ever meet.

The chemistry teacher just flashed him a smile and shook his head. "The last time I lied to Yuuko-sensei she made me watch over after-school detention for a whole week."

He turned to Yuui, but the home economics teacher waved his hands in the air. "You know I can't lie like Fai. Well, except when we switch places. Then I'm just doing the opposite of what I normally would do."

"Looks like you're stuck," Fai said, linking arms with Kurogane and dragging him towards Yuuko and the faculty lounge. The the closer they got, the more Yuui had to push on Kurogane's back while Fai pulled on his arm.

"We're here!" Fai announced brightly, as he slammed opened the door. The rest of the facility were in the lounge already and snickered at Fai's flashy entrance.

Two obnoxious idiots, another set of brothers that got on Kurogane's nerves, caught his eye as the pair shared ice cream out of a carton. Fuuma, the history teacher, gave the trio a devious grin, while Seishirou just shook his head with one of those deceptively charming smiles.

Kurogane could tell Fuuma wanted to make some sort of smart ass comment laced with perverted innuendo. After all, it had been Fuuma that pulled a practical joke that had gotten him trapped in a closet with the Fluorite twins for a full weekend!

Kurogane still wanted to beat the stuffing out of Fuuma for it. The history teacher had a knack for ticking him off. But he didn't want a run in with Seishirou, Fuuma's creepy, older brother, the school nurse. He swore that man was a real ghoul. One day he expected to watch TV and see the man confronted by Chris Hansen asking him, "Exactly what are you doing and what is that smell from your crawl space?"

He didn't think Fuuma would push him too hard today, seeing as how he and his brother were engaged in their "ice cream therapy." The Fluorite twins, on the other hand, in particular Fai... "Kuro-rin said he felt ill, but we convinced him otherwise."

"I could always look you over," Seishirou offered. Kurogane just shot the gloating pervert a dirty look. He wouldn't let the man get within ten feet of him.

"Good job, Fai! I'd hate to dock his pay," Yuuko said, flashing the older Fluorite twin a smile. "Anyway... I wanted to announce our first annual Parents Day! It'll be so fabulous. Everyone, students and faculty, will invite their parents to come and see what we do every day, and then I'll throw a mixer in the gym after school."

"Wha...? Mixer in the gym? My gym!" Kurogane raged, with a raised fist.

"Yes, with streamers, punch, and everything," she said. Kurogane's stomach turned at the thought of his neat, orderly gym being turned into a party lounge.

"So it will be held in three days. Anyone without a family member present will have to serve after school detention for two weeks. And I'll warn you, Kazahaya Kudou and Rikuou Himura are serving detention at the same time."

"No way I'm watching those two at the same time," Fai said to Yuui, who nodded at the very thought. "Breaking up their fights is a special kind of headache."

"And breaking up their make out sessions is worse," Yuui finished for his twin.

"Yeah, I spend half my time dumping ice down their shorts," Kurogane snapped, getting all eyes on him. "Hey, if you guys think of something better, let me know."

"Well, now that we've agreed on Parents Day..." Yuuko said.

"I don't remember having a vote," Kurogane softy griped to the Fluorite twins, crossing his arms.

"...let's go have a good day," Yuuko finished, shooting Kurogane a sly glance.

* * *

"I'm so excited! We finally get to meet Kuro-pu's parents!" Fai said, practically skipping down the hallways towards his classroom.

"Yeah, I guess so," Kurogane said. "I'm not spending after school watching after those two frustrated horn-balls."

"And I guess you'll get a chance to meet Ashura, because Kazahaya's questions are way too embarrassing to answer," Fai said.

"Ashura might be too busy," Yuui said.

"I'll ask him. He won't say no to me," Fai insisted. "Here's my stop. See you two at lunch."

Fai jogged into his classroom and greeted his students with a large smile and a cheery, "Good morning, everybody!"

Kurogane and Yuui walked on a little further. "Ashura spoiled us, and it really went to Fai's head," Yuui explained.

"That's why he is the way he is, but it doesn't explain you," Kurogane pointed out. Fai was tight lipped about their past when it was just him and Kurogane working together. Now that Yuui was in the picture, a little more spilled out because it had to, but Yuui seemed to clam up most times about their past lives, whereas, Fai just distracted away from the past with silly jokes. Neither twin shared why they had to be adopted, and Kurogane wasn't one to pry.

"Ashura is a scientist, too. That's where Fai got his interest, but thankfully, he doesn't use that knowledge like Ashura does," Yuui said. There was a dark tone to what the meeker Fluorite twin had said, causing Kurogane to be a little curious. Before he could ask, Yuui darted into the home ec classroom.

Kurogane walked down the hallway towards the gym and was a little disgruntled to see Sakura, Himawari, Tomoyo, and Yuzuriha were already planning out decorations rather than starting their mat exercises. He had a bad feeling about this Parents Day business. It was just another one of Yuuko's ways of turning the school into a zoo.

* * *

"Watanuki, you're not paying attention," Yuui said to his star pupil. "This is not one of your better efforts."

All eyes in the classroom went to Watanuki's cake. There was no way he would have screwed up a home economics assignment. Watanuki adopted a waspish expression. "Well, I was distracted by those two!"

Yuui noticed he was glaring at Syaoran and Doumeki, his station mates. Syaoran looked baffled, Doumeki looked apathetic. He knew about Watanuki's long standing irritation with Doumeki, but the boy always seemed to get along perfectly with Syaoran.

"Stay after class," Yuui ordered as the bell rang. All the other students left. Watanuki trudged over to where Yuui was throwing the cake in the garbage. "What's got you so irritated?"

"This whole Parents Day nonsense! It's all Doumeki and Syaoran were talking about. Both of them are bringing family and gloating about it. It's all anyone is talking about!" he snapped.

"It's because your parents are gone, isn't it?" Yuui asked gently, fully aware of Watanuki's status as an orphan. Watanuki didn't say anything, he just looked at the ground. "Well, why don't you go on to your next class. I'm sure something will work out for you."

After Watanuki left, Yuui ran down the hallway towards the literature classroom. Yuuko was at her desk, feet propped up. "Yuui, coming to visit in between classes? How sweet."

"It's about Watanuki and Parents Day."

"He's been sulking. I know, and I already have plans to handle it." There was a devious smile now playing on Yuuko's lips.

Yuui smiled back at her. After his short time working for her, he had realized she was trustworthy when it came to the students' wellbeing. He went back to his classroom and inwardly groaned when saw Himawari around his cutlery.

"That's okay! I'll clean up those knives, Himawari. Just back away," Yuui said, nervously.

* * *

"Yeah, and so could you come and help me out, Dad," Kurogane asked over the phone. He had called his parents' house immediately when he got back to his apartment.

His dad, the big tease, said, "I don't know. I do have a martial arts match I'm judging that evening." They may look alike, but Hondo Suwa's personality was certainly more carefree then his son's.

Kurogane sighed and his dad chuckled. Kurogane then said through gritted teeth, "I suppose you want me to say please?"

"Well since you are asking me a favor," his dad said.

"Okay, okay... so long as I don't have to watch after those two weird kids trying to grope each other. Please help me out. My boss is a real pain in the ass."

"So you've said, yet you still work there," his father pointed out, to his annoyance. When Kurogane didn't answer right away his father asked, "So what is keeping you there anyway?"

Kurogane gritted his teeth when his mind conjured the blond twins next door. "I just... no reason... let me talk to Mom!" As always, his father was able to push his buttons, just like when he was a child.

His father chuckled again and called for his mother. Hitomi Suwa got on the phone and said, "Kurogane? We're coming to visit you at work on Friday? That'll be so wonderful. I'm looking forward to meeting your friends."

"More like pests than friends."

"Oh now, you can't be serious. What about those neighbors you work with? The identical twins? You wrote a lot about them last month," his mother said. Kurogane's face got hot at remembering writing her a seventeen page ranting rage letter about how Fai had deviously roped him into helping Yuui move into the chem teacher's apartment next door. Kurogane did admit he had gotten a really awesome dinner and lots of beer out of the deal. It was a mixed bag having the Fluorite twins as neighbors.

"I know. They just get under my skin all the time," he mumbled. Fai did annoy him in obvious ways, but he wondered why he included Yuui in his irritation.

"It sounds like they certainly challenge you. Well, regardless, I can't wait to meet them and the rest of the people you work with. We'll see you on Friday, Kurogane."

"Thanks, Mother," he said, hanging up the phone. He breathed a sigh of relief in spite of his parents' irritating probing. He flopped on the sofa and started having a sneaking suspicion his parents were plotting against him, somehow, some way.

* * *

Yuui prepared dinner. Meanwhile, Fai was in the living room chatting on his cell phone with Ashura. His stomach felt anxious as his bother and adoptive father spent more and more time on the phone. They were still very close, and there was a nagging fear that Ashura would convince Fai to go work for him.

"Yuui! Ashura wants to talk to you," Fai suddenly called out. Yuui froze, pausing slicing vegetables and walked out to the living room. His twin was on the sofa, waving his cell phone covered in glitter stickers. Fai's expression was hopeful, almost desperate. Normally, Yuui would have turned down the call, but he found himself unable to say 'no' to Fai, just like Ashura.

He took the phone and repressed a glare. Fai looked gleeful now. Yuui held the phone to his ear and asked, "Ashura?"

"It's nice to hear your voice after so long. How have you been?"

"Just fine. I'm settled in with Fai."

"Good. You can make sure Fai consumes things other than sugar and alcohol."

"I'm doing my best, but you know him."

"So how have you been? We seldom talk since you ran off to Italy."

"I know and I'm sorry about that. I just had some things to sort out," Yuui said, turning his back on Fai's anxious eyes. He didn't need that on top of Ashura trying to put a guilt trip on him for going to Italy. Of course he ran away! Who wouldn't, considering how Ashura made a living? Well, Fai hadn't run off with him, even after Yuui's badgering.

"You know I can't stop my work," Ashura said, getting right to the heart of their disagreement.

"It's not just your work, but also who you work for," Yuui said.

"Are we going over that again? You know I'm not permitted out of my contract."

Yuui let out a sigh and said, "No, I guess not."

"Well, I'll be seeing you on Friday. We can talk in person, privately, then."

"What? I thought you'd be too busy to come all the way to Japan."

"I'll be there on business."

Yuui's shoulders slumped. He'd hoped his father would be too tied up with his shady work to attend something trivial like a Parents Day at a private school. Suddenly, looking after Kazahaya and Rikuou didn't seem so bad. "Okay. I'll talk to you then." He clicked disconnect on Fai's cell phone and handed it back to his twin. He noticed Fai was smiling gleefully.

Yuui snapped, "Happy now?"

"That you're going to work things out with Ashura? Yes!"

"Why don't you ask him to quit his work, too? No one says no to you."

"I never bother asking him things I know he'll refuse to do. And that's one thing he'd refuse to do, even for us." Yuui shivered at Fai's sudden dark demeanor.

"Even when they're in his best interest?"

Fai's expression darkened further. "Even then."

* * *

"Yuuko here," the chairwoman announced over the phone the next morning before school was in session.

"Oh no! You're calling in that favor?" the man on the end asked.

"So you know the favor I want?" she asked, smiling.

"No, but I imagine you're about to tell me, but this better be the end of it!"

"All you have to do is attend Parents Day at my school. I want you to accompany one of my students as his parental figure. I know that's a stretch for you, but it'll keep you from peeking up skirts and getting thrown into jail for being a pervert."

"It's not my fault people misunderstand me!" the man bellowed and then sputtered in rage. "Okay, but this favor wipes out what I owe you in bail!"

"Check your email. I've sent you details. Plus, there is a special guest you'll want to see again," she said in a flirtatious tone.

"Who?"

"You know I hired the Fluorite twins?"

"That means Ashura will be there! I'm in! I'll finally show that man what a real scientist is all about! Must go create! Icchan go BOOM!" Then the phone cut off. Yuuko shrugged and tossed it aside.

After that, she said to herself, "Now, how to torment Kurogane? I must order more pink balloons and an ice sculpture of a unicorn!"

To be continued.

BTW: I did lift the Chris Hansen gag from (WingedPanther73) my husband's story "Quatre Meets the Real Gary Stu." It's hysterical. Go check out his stories for some laughs.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2:

Kurogane noticed Yuui was frowning during lunch. He seemed very agitated and moody, refusing to talk much. Not that Yuui was very talkative in the first place. Yuui had seemed to withdraw deep inside himself over the last day. Fai, on the other hand, was bouncing off the walls and acting crazier than normal. Kurogane wondered if, somehow, Fai was able to suck energy off his twin like some demented vampire.

"Hey! Unhand my lunch!" Kurogane bellowed at Fai as he picked up the bento and sniffed at it.

"Fish again? Here, have mine. It's chicken, and Yuui cooked it," Fai said, pushing his own lunch at Kurogane. "I already ate the dessert, though."

"Don't you do anything around your home? I swear you just moved your brother in so you can be lazy."

"I do plenty around the house," Fai said, with a pout. "Tell him all the things I do, Yuui." Yuui turned his eyes heavenward and remained silent. "Yuui! Fine, see if I help you with laundry this weekend."

"You even make him do your laundry, too? You're a shameless child," Kurogane said.

"I don't mind," Yuui mumbled and wandered off, most of his meal left untouched.

"What did you do to upset your brother?" Kurogane snapped as Fai grabbed Yuui's pudding dish and started scooping at it with a spoon.

"I made him talk with Ashura last night. He's still testy with me."

"Well if he doesn't like talking to your father, you shouldn't force him," Kurogane said.

"Oh he adores Ashura. He's just being a little judgmental about Ashura's career."

"What does your father do anyway? Whatever it is, he doesn't seem to like it."

Fai looked thoughtful for a moment as he sucked on his spoon. "Well, he just invents toys for an organization."

"Is that all?" Kurogane had a feeling Fai was leaving out a very large portion of that story.

Fai gave him a wink and leaned over to Kurogane's ear. He said in a breathy tone right at Kurogane's ear, "If you want to know more, it'll cost you."

Kurogane's face blazed as his hand came up to grab Fai's neck. The chem teacher flinched away with a wild giggle and ran out of the faculty lounge with the lofted pudding bowl and spoon.

Kurogane clenched his fists and decided to push the Fluorite twins far from his mind. Yeah, that didn't work well, now that he was riled up. In the back of his mind the image of Fai being a vampire sucking at Yuui's neck kept cropping up at the worst times. His students paid for his frustrations with extra laps around the gym.

* * *

Yuuko came marching into the gym as Kurogane tried figuring how to get Watanuki to climb the rope suspended from the ceiling. The kid was laying on the mat, panting and sweating. When Kurogane spotted Yuuko coming his way he nudged Watanuki's side with his toes, afraid Yuuko was going to give him another tongue lashing over the kid's scrawny physique.

"Kurogane! Just the person I wanted to see. My party supplies have arrived. Come and help fetch a few items," Yuuko said with a crocodile-like smile he just didn't trust. He followed her out to the back of the gym.

He was aggravated someone had parked a semi truck near the building. He looked around for Yuuko's cherry red Austin Healey, but didn't spot it.

"Over here, big boy," Yuuko called out. He felt horror as she flung open the rear of the semi and flourished her hand towards the massive sea of pink, party decorations inside.

"What do you expect me to do with this garbage?" he raged with clenched fists in the air.

"Bring it into the gym."

"What about my classes? How am suppose to hold classes?"

"Take them outside for some fresh air. It's fair weather this week. They'll get some much needed vitamin D. Oh, I know," she said with a gleeful smile while clapping her hands together. "You and your students need to start decorating."

"But that's not my job! I still have to get that pet of yours climbing up a rope!"

She leaned over with narrowed eyes and cupped his chin. "Your job is anything I say it is," she said in a low, seductive tone with the barest hint of a threat underneath. "Now just think, if you have Watanuki hang streamers from the ceiling... without a ladder. Just tell him Yuuko-sensei ordered it."

"As if that'll make a difference," Kurogane scoffed, backing away from the grasp on his chin.

"It will if you tell him he'll have to serve detention sitting right in between Kazahaya and Rikuou," she said with a sing-song tone.

Kurogane snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he'll learn how to grip plenty of stiff rope sitting between those two perpetual hard-ons."

"If you think you'll have trouble getting the gym decorated by the end of the day, I guess I could have the Sakurazukamori brothers to assist you."

"Not on your life will I have Fuuma and Seishirou set foot in my gym! I'll spend more of my time avoiding the prankster while fishing that pervert out of the showers!"

She cackled and flung her hand in the air. "Then I'll leave it to you." She started walking off, but gave the warning, "And be careful of my disco ball. It'll come out of your paycheck if it gets so much as a scratch."

Kurogane glared, but started hauling crates into the gym. He bellowed for his students to help. He expected them to be grumpy about it, but instead they were thrilled. Now he was disgruntled. The rest of the day was spent with young teens distracted from his syllabus as they diligently hung decorations.

Watanuki never did make it up the rope, but Doumeki helped the disgruntled, bespectacled boy out with decorating. The school day came to an end and the students all left for home. Kurogane was pissed off because the gym was only half decorated. It'd take him all night by himself.

"Want some help, Kuro-gigi?"

Kurogane swirled around to see Fai with his arm around his twin's slumped shoulders. Fai looked buoyant, in contrast to his gloomy twin.

"I'm fine! I can manage," he snapped, not wanting to be distracted by the twins. Of course, the distractions were from totally opposite ends. Fai would just playfully tease, and Yuui would worry him with his new, dour persona. He looked around the gym, hoping there were straggling students to recruit for help so he could have a good excuse to reject their, or rather Fai's, offer.

"Oh come on. Yuui doesn't need to be cooped up at home tonight. Besides, Yuuko-sensei seemed to think you need us," Fai urged. Then Fai gave him a coy look and said with a lecherous tone, "You tell us what you want done and well be obedient little helpers."

Kurogane scowled. Ever since Fai had come to work at the school, he had shamelessly flirted with Kurogane. Kurogane mostly blew it off, because he figured the chemistry teacher was just playing a big practical joke on him, and Kurogane refused to look like a fool for taking the too attractive bait. It was a very irritating joke that caused Kurogane a lot of consternation. When Yuui came into the picture, however, it just seemed Fai's flirting got worse... or changed... or something Kurogane couldn't put his finger on.

He figured he should keep Fai's mouth busy. "Fine. Fluorite, go blow up those balloons." He pointed at a box across the gym.

"Oh fun! I'm good at jobs that require lots of blowing," Fai said with a devious smile as sat on the floor beside the box of pink balloons.

Kurogane clenched his fists to keep from beating the snot out of Fai. Everything with this maddening twit was a double entendre! He especially hated when Fai got onto the bit about Kurogane being into "physical education." He started when Yuui put his hand on Kurogane's shaking, balled-up fist. He looked at Yuui who gave him a small, soft smile and asked, "What can I do?"

"You can tell me how long your brother has been like that." Kurogane hitched his thumb across the gym towards where Fai was blowing up phallic shaped balloons and letting them sputter around in the air.

"Like what?"

"A sex-crazed idiot," Kurogane muttered.

"Since he discovered he was a boy," Yuui whispered back. He was even blushing at Fai's silly antics. Kurogane sighed and shook his head. Then Yuui's smile did brighten in a captivating, warm way. He said, "Though, I never have seen him take such a shine to someone as he has you."

"I wish he'd take a shine to someone else," Kurogane said, glowering. He was surprised when Yuui cheeks blossomed into a bright scarlet and the hand resting on his fist got tighter.

The home ec teacher shook his head and said, "What did you need help on? We'll get this done and then I'll cook us all a nice meal. I've been wanting to try to out an oden recipe Watanuki gave me. I know it's not quite the season for it, but I'd like to perfect it before winter. I'd be really..." Suddenly, Yuui grew very bashful. "...honored if you'd give my Japanese food a critique."

Kurogane now became all too aware of Yuui's hand on his. He felt his cheeks start burning. A balloon smacked him in his face and he turned to Fai, who was on the exercise mat. Fai was lying on his stomach, casually moving his his now bare feet back and forth in the air. He flinched away from Yuui expecting to see Fai give Yuui some blazing jealously. Instead, there was a strangely placid, self-assured grin.

Suddenly, Kurogane felt he was playing the mouse with two cats. His eyes narrowed. No, that wasn't going to happen. He was going to find a way to turn the tables before that happened.

* * *

Kurogane straddled the small, high perch of the step ladder with Yuui sitting next to him. They both gripped the rope attached to the disco ball. Fai was on the floor ready to spot the disco ball as it was hoisted to the steel rafters.

Yuui had a far away look, again; it was the same gloom that Kurogane had seen at lunch. "Yuui, are you okay? You have to pay attention. Yuuko will kill me if this thing gets damaged."

Yuui's looked downward and said, "I'm sorry."

"What is it? Fai said he made you talk to your father? Does your father bother you that much?"

Yuui looked up with wide-eyed shock. "Fai told you that?"

"Yeah."

"Did he tell you anything about Ashura?" Yuui demanded. Kurogane picked up on the ashen complexion and fear in Yuui. It was as if he felt a deep shame, or something Kurogane couldn't quite put his finger on.

Kurogane sighed and said, "Fai told me he was a toy maker."

"A what!" Yuui shouted down at Fai, who now adopted an innocent expression. "Toy maker? Of all the lies you've ever told... this... this... oh my grrruuhhh... epic... lie! Ashura a toy maker! Your tongue should jump out of your mouth for that one!" Yuui shouted, waving an accusing finger downward at Fai standing at the base of the ladder. "You said that Ashura was a toy maker! Of all things, that man who raised us is NOT a toy maker!"

"Well..." Fai said coyly. "They are toys... for certain clients he has."

"Could you two argue later? It's almost nine o'clock at night and I'm starving!" Kurogane snarled focused on his grumbling stomach rather than the Ashura riddle.

Granted, he'd never thought it was in Yuui to yell and throw a temper tantrum like that. He thought of Yuui sweet and soft, Fai as tart and sassy. Fai must have really pushed the envelope with that lie.

"Come on. Heave!" Kurogane ordered. He and Yuui started dragging the disco ball up in the air, rope over the rafters hauling the glittering centerpiece up. It was the last decoration that needed to be in place. Kurogane and Yuui hoisted the two foot diameter ball just as a thunder storm rolled through. The sky lights revealed the flash of lightning across the night sky; they gym's florescent lights started winking in and out.

Kurogane ignored the early autumn storm and continued. Yuui didn't have the muscle power Kurogane did, but he relied on him to help guide the disco ball along. He also relied on Fai on the ground with a guide rope he used to steady the awkward thing. He really appreciated how the twins could read each other and responded wordlessly to his muscle work.

He got the disco ball hoisted to the rafters. The hook on the top of it was just inches from his fingertips. The ball lit up from a flare of lightening; the flash was bright. He grunted in frustration and leaned over towards the ball as a clap of thunder rolled through the gym. Yuui gasped and flinched. Kurogane let go of his grip on the rope to keep Yuui from falling, he clenched the front of the chef's coat to keep Yuui close. To Kurogane's horror, the disco ball went crashing towards Fai.

The older twin barely leaped out of the way, but ended up in the sparkling, splattering crash on the gym floor. Fai swirled and collapsed to the ground with his arms over his head. There were the starts of red pricks all over his white lab coat.

"Fai! Yuui shouted and scrambled down the ladder, almost falling half way off. Kurogane was shocked, as he got down, to see Yuui crawl over the broken glass with no hesitation to get at his twin, who was balled up in the middle of ground zero. Now there was red blooming on a white chef's coat. "Fai! Fai! Fai!"

"Stay back! You'll get hurt!" Fai shouted. Yuui didn't heed. He kept crawling and got to Fai. Yuui cradled Fai in his arms. "Why chase after me now, Yu? You ran away from me once! Now this when I get a few cuts on my skin!"

"How about the cuts on my heart as I watched you get more interested in Ashura's career? I couldn't abide it any more! It really..." Yuui started panting and then sobbed, clutching Fai tighter. "...it killed me... the idea that you'd follow him..."

"But I didn't," Fai insisted.

"You two blasted idiots stay put!" Kurogane bellowed at them.

He ran quickly to a side closet and retrieved a large broom. He pushed aside the broken glass so that a safe path could be had for the Fluorite twins. They got to their feet, shaking and supporting each other. They made their way to Kurogane's side, still holding each other tightly.

Kurogane caught his breath and laid a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Fai."

"It was an accident," Fai said, giving Kurogane a charming smile, but then looked to Yuui. "You shouldn't have come after me. Now you're all cut up."

"Yeah, Yuui! You should have waited on me," Kurogane snapped.

"I was just scared Fai was hurt," Yuui mumbled.

"Let me see that," Fai said, lifting Yuui's hand that had one large cut across his wrist. Kurogane watched Fai give Yuui the sliest of expression. "Let me kiss it and make it all better."

Kurogane's teeth clenched as Fai drew Yuui's wrist to his his lips and gently kissed the cut. Kurogane cursed his demented mind that had had this Fai vampire fantasy earlier in the day. Yuui repressed a sigh as his eyes grew wide.

"Fai, please stop. Kurogane doesn't want to see you act like a child." Yuui's voice was firm and chastising, but Kurogane noticed he was shaking like a leaf. Kurogane now felt like Yuui was a mouse, too, to Fai's cat. There was some electricity in the air, more so than what was brought by the storm. Kurogane couldn't understand the tense gaze the twins were sharing.

"But I need to take care of my baby brother," Fai insisted, a gleam came to his eye. Yuui was vexed; he tried to pull away from Fai.

A loud thunder clap drove Yuui into Fai's arms. The awkward stumble caused them to tumble against Kurogane. He supported their sudden weigh against him as the lights flickered off.

"Damn!" Kurogane swore after a few still moments. He was grateful the lights were out so Fai couldn't see the vermilion color to his cheeks. Neither twin moved to leave his embrace. "I don't think the lights are coming back on."

"Well, why don't you lock up the gym, Kuro-woo, and we'll come in early in the morning to clean up the mess. I want to tuck Yuui into bed."

"She's going to kill me," Kurogane said in dread. "She's going to dock it from my pay." Now the rain was coming down full force.

"We'll help you pay for it, since we were helping," Yuui offered softly.

"You're a little free with my pay check," Fai joked with a light tone.

"No, I was careless. I just didn't want Yuui to fall, but... I'm so sorry I let it drop, Fai. Please forgive me. I just reacted, and I didn't mean to hurt you."

Kurogane felt Fai lean his head against his chest in the pitch black gym. "Tell you what, take us home and help me clean up Yuui. Then we'll call it even."

"We aren't going to finish cleaning up this mess without lights, so come on," Kurogane said. He let go of the twins, reluctantly, and fished for the gym keys in his sweat suit pocket. He couldn't find them.

He scowled and went to the double doors. He pushed on them. They didn't budge. He slammed his shoulder against it. It didn't budge an inch. He started panicking. He ran to the door access to the main school building. It was locked down tighter than a drum.

The only doors unlocked were to his office and the showers. "Kurogane?" Yuui asked, walking up to him. "What's going on?"

"We can't get out!" he shouted, battering at the door with his fists.

"Well, we'll find a way out. I sneak in and out of your office windows all the time," Fai said in a jaunty tone as he went into Kurogane's darkened office, occasionally lit by lightening. Normally, Kurogane would have cussed Fai out for invading his space, but he just wanted to get home.

Fai tugged and tugged at the window. He started giggling nervously. "Looks like I forgot to use my usual tricks to keep it opened."

"And there are no windows in the showers," Kurogane said, feeling irritable.

"So that means we're trapped?" Yuui asked with a panicked, desperate tone. "Just like that closet fiasco two weeks ago?"

"It looks like it," Fai said, crossing his arms as he started raiding Kurogane's desk. "But at least it didn't happen on a Friday. Just think of it as another slumber party!"

"Get out of my desk you, idiot!"

Fai lofted a flashlight and turned it on, illuminating his chin. "I know! Let's tell ghost stories."

Yuui let out an 'eep' of distress and clung to Kurogane's arm. Kurogane sighed deeply, thinking this was going to be worse than the closet fiasco. He felt his hand go to Yuui's soft hair in comfort as Fai got down the medical kit.

"Come fix us up in the showers, Kuro-rin," Fai said. Kurogane groaned as Fai lead the way with the flashlight.

* * *

Fuuma held up his strawberry ice cream cone to Seishirou. His brother gave it a long, hard lick and settled back on the sofa in their apartment downstairs from the Fluorite twins' apartment. The school nurse looked at their coffee table and asked, "What are those keys? They aren't yours."

"They're the keys to the school's gym. I was under orders to steal them. Kurogane was showering after classes were dismissed, and so I used Fai's way of sneaking into his office. Of course, Yuuko-sensei asked that I glue the windows shut, too."

"And the result?"

Fuuma chuckled and shrugged. "I just do what Yuuko-sensei tells me. I think she's trying to get Kurogane laid. And, well, he's got a steal rod up his ass that needs removing."

Seishirou laughed. "Now that's kinky. Doing twins." Seishirou hummed softly and got a wicked smirk.

Fuuma laugh. "Looks like you and Kurogane share a perversion."

"Who me?" Seishirou asked in mock innocence.

"Oh I know you plan on screwing the Sumeragi twins... even though they're students."

"Nice, tasty, luscious students," Seishirou said with an evil grin. "Besides, I know you have eyes for your student Kamui, so don't even throw that in my face."

To be continued.

A/N: My favorite scene in X/1999 was Seishirou and Fuuma sharing ice cream as they destroyed a city. That's why all the ice cream I associate with them :)


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